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Maxwell


Maxwell is a 32-bit Windows application for the treatment of electrical geophysics data. Used by serious mineral explorers, consultants and academics on all continents, it is the productivity-enhancing tool for consumers of electrical geophysics data. Written and maintained by people who acquire, process and interpret EM data for a living, Maxwell was developed to handle all forms of EM geophysical data: time-domain, frequency-domain, ground-based, airborne, dB/dt and B field. Current versions of Maxwell require Windows XP or higher.

Maxwell automates the handling of large data sets with inversion and forward modelling of plate targets and conductive overburden responses. Maxwell creates professional quality on-screen and hardcopy presentations of plans, profiles, decays, spectra and model visualisations.

  • Compatible with Windows XP and higher
  • Plot plans of data coverage, grid, image and contour channels
  • Example modelling exercises using any airborne/ground system
  • Build templates for professional graphical presentation to include your standard logo and title blocks
  • Drag-and-drop plate models
  • Invert automatically on model parameters to fit data
  • Works seamlessly with Geosoft Oasis Montaj
  • Use a large number of models and survey lines
  • Save all session details to file
  • Individual windows for plan, sections, decays, spectrum and model views
  • Extended support for printing from Windows
  • Custom functionality added on request
  • Maxwell can be interfaced to your own modelling routines

Maxwell Maintenance

An annual maintenance fee is charged to Maxwell users to enable Maxwell software to be regularly updated. The rate is set at 20% of the current purchase price per annum. For prices of Maxwell software, please contact EMIT.


Maxwell and Windows

Maxwell will work with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. 64-bit versions of these operating systems are also supported. Windows 2000 and earlier are no longer supported as at version 5.1.17.7817 (16th April 2010).


Maxwell Model Window

The Model Window in Maxwell provides a graphic interface to all the modelling capabilities within Maxwell. You can see all geometric aspects of the survey and model in one 3D visualisation to be viewed from any angle.

Field and model responses can be displayed at a user-selectable scale using the survey line as a base. Any or all of the lines being used in the modelling session can be displayed and any combination of the components available can be shown using colours and symbols of choice.

As with all other window types in Maxwell, the Preferences panel can be displayed down the left side so that selections can be made with the changes immediately visible in the window. Choose to view all features or zoom in on areas of interest.

All model parameters can be set within this environment. The Edit Plates tab of the Model Window Preferences allows complete characterisation of plate models. Additionally, plate models can be dragged and dropped, with model responses automatically recalculated if required.

Automatically setup overburden models, even for moving-loop EM surveys. Plot primary field flux lines in any plane. Execute your own modelling programs with this powerful graphic interface. Any type of EM geophysical data in any units can be modelled.

The Model Window provides a graphic interface to all the modelling capabilities within Maxwell.

Profiles

Use the Maxwell Profile Window to create the style of profile you want to look at on screen and in hardcopy. You can have up to 25 Profile Windows open at any one time, displaying any or all of the lines in your session.

Logarithmic or linear scales, multiple panels, ranges of channels and frequencies. Anything is possible. Colour by channel number, frequency, component, line, in-phase or quadrature. Add sections as located grids with selectable colour palette, draped on topography if required.

Choose scales, symbols, grids, line styles and labels. Save the look and feel of the profile in a template for use with other data. Batch plot all lines from your project without having to setup each one.

The Profile Window automatically extracts annotation values from your data files so you can avoid manually adding line numbers and other line-specific information to plots. When printing profiles from projects with multiple lines of data you can elect to plot all profiles as a batch job, at the same if necessary. During batch printing, all annotation is automatically supplied for each line.

You can add error bars to readings with repeat measurements. Plot auxiliary parameters such as power line noise monitor, transmitter current, other geophysical data and parameters calculated by Maxwell's processing routines. The Profile Window is dynamically linked to the Plan and Decay Windows.

Use the Maxwell Profile Window to create the style of profile you want to look at on screen and in hardcopy.

Plan Window

Maxwell's Plan Window is linked to the Profile and Decay Windows so that you can keep track of where you are.

The Plan Window will display the location of all data in the current session, but it can be zoomed to view a particular area in detail. Any channels within data sets can be gridded to use as a base for the Plan Window, and grids can be imported for that purpose.

In CBA (Colour By Amplitude) mode, data from a selected channel or component can be coloured for rapid identification of features. For airborne surveys, line names and flight directions are annotated. A particular line can be selected in the Plan Window and thrown straight into a Profile Window.

Scales and all annotation are selectable and, as with other Maxwell window types, comprehensive print previews are provided to allow the setup of hardcopy.

Maxwell's Plan Window is linked to the Profile and Decay Windows so that you can keep track of where you are.

Decay Window

The Maxwell Decay Window is linked to the Profile and Plan Windows. It is used to display decays and, in the case of frequency domain data, curves of in-phase versus quadrature or in-phase and quadrature versus frequency. Logarithmic or linear scales can be chosen.

For time domain data, power law and exponential decays can be calculated for a selected range of delay times. Decays from several stations can be plotted with colour-coded symbols corresponding to those in the Profile Window.

The Maxwell Decay Window is linked to the Profile and Plan Windows. It is used to display decays.

Hard Copies

Graphics in all window types in Maxwell can be printed to any Windows compatible printer or plotter. A sophisticated print formatting tool is invoked prior to printing to allow the format of the hardcopy to be modified as desired by the user.

As is shown in the adjacent image, a ruler gives true scaling of the hardcopy. Elements of the plot can be moved, disabled and formatted in this presentation. Finally, a WYSIWYG preview shows a replica of the print as it will appear in hardcopy.

Download the example PDF files (created directly from Maxwell) that are available on the Downloads page and print them out to see the quality of hardcopy available directly from Maxwell.

Graphics in all window types in Maxwell can be printed to any Windows compatible printer or plotter.

Processing EM Data

As a part of Maxwell's Line Editor you can apply a range of processing tools to a line of data within Maxwell. The options here are expanding rapidly as Maxwell grows. Processing can be carried out on a selected range of data lines. Prior to any processing, a copy of a data line can be made with one click so that no data is overwritten. Processing options can be undone if required.

There are simple productivity enhancing tools here, as well as more sophisticated processing options. You can reverse the polarity of a component, filter spatially or temporally, convert data units and carry out simple maths on lines. You can grid a column of data in your data file, export your data in XYZ or GDB format and change the way that data is normalised along line by transmitter current or other variables.

The Exponential Decomposition functions allow the decomposition of time domain EM data into a sum of exponential basis functions, from which useful transformations such as step response can be calculated. Decay constants for large TEM data sets can be calculated automatically with a flexible routine offering a number of options.

EMAX and EMAXair are CDI (conductivity-depth-imaging) routines available as add-ons to Maxwell. They calculate a CDI for of TEM data for ground or airborne surveys. Contact EMIT for details and pricing.

As a part of Maxwell's Line Editor you can apply a range of processing tools to a line of data within Maxwell.

Executing your own Modelling Routines

EMIT has designed an interface between Maxwell and external modelling routines. This allows access to these routines from the powerful Maxwell visualisation environment. The most important ingredient in this external modelling interface is the map file. This file, which can be constructed by Maxwell users, specifies to Maxwell the format required of the input data file to the modelling routine.

A range of pnemonics and identifiers have been designed to specify this format so that survey details can be extracted automatically from the Maxwell project and sent to the modelling routine.

Other functions here (see the adjacent image) allow you to run routines to reformat data or carry out other operations prior to the modelling results coming seamlessly back into Maxwell.

CSIRO (AMIRA) Modules

Map files for the AMIRA modules; eg. Leroi; are included in the Maxwell installation. A separate installation containing all programs comprising the CSIRO Suite can now be purchased, downloaded and utilised with Maxwell. For more information see the CSIRO page.

EMIT has designed an interface between Maxwell and external modelling routines.

Importing and Configuring Data

You can import EM data in AMIRA/Geosoft style text files (a text file with data in columns), Geosoft database (GDB) files, Crone PEM files and other formats. Some other proprietary formats are supported and new formats can be added. Information about transmitter or borehole geometry can be read and written in a standard format.

EMIT has developed a variation of the AMIRA file format for complete specification of all parameters of an EM survey. This format encompasses all varieties of time and frequency domain EM surveys.

Full online help is available to describe the format and keywords. During data import, warnings are given if information required for modelling is missing or misinterpreted.

After data is imported, you can use the Maxwell Line Editor (shown here) to modify any parameters or settings used to characterise the data. This is a sophisticated feature which interacts dynamically with the EM data you have imported and allows a great deal of flexibility with data formats, system geometry, units, delay times, frequencies and normalisations.

Using the same features, a synthetic survey can be created simply with any geometry, transmitter waveform, units, window times and frequencies. Particular system configurations can be saved and reloaded.

You can import EM data in AMIRA/Geosoft style text files (a text file with data in columns), Geosoft database (GDB) files, Crone PEM files and other formats.

Oasis Montaj Integration

EMIT has written Geosoft compatible GX modules to allow interaction between Maxwell and Oasis Montaj. This functionality is available freely as part of Maxwell. Maxwell integrates with Geosoft's Oasis Montaj in the following ways:

  • Geosoft database files may be imported from Maxwell
  • Geosoft database files may be exported from Maxwell (with some restrictions depending on Geosoft licencing)
  • Oasis Montaj grid files may be imported into Maxwell and displayed as images
  • Maxwell modelled plates and transmitter loops may be imported into Oasis Montaj
EMIT has written Geosoft-compatible GX modules to allow interaction between Maxwell and Oasis Montaj.

Documentation, Tutorials and Training

Maxwell has online help and an online tutorial that we recommend for first time users. The tutorial illustrates the basics of working with Maxwell - importing, formatting profiles, executing models, using the plan and decay windows.

Most functions within Maxwell are linked to context-specific help in the online documentation.

Other Maxwell material can be found on the downloads page. Training in the use of Maxwell can be organised. Please contact EMIT for more information and pricing.

Maxwell has on-line help and an on-line tutorial that we recommend for first-time users.